Hazrat Ahmad — Page 40
40. HADHRAT AHMAD a great service to the cause of public peace, for at the time a rumor was current among the people at large that it was the Government which was spreading the plague and that the measures, which were ostensibly aimed at arresting its progress, were actually to spread it and that these measures were also contrary to the tenets of Islam. . As a matter of fact an authoritative pronouncement had already been made by the Ulema to the effect that during the plague it was very sinful to leave one's house. The Ulema had thus been responsible for the death of thousands of ignorant people. When pills were distributed for the destruction of mice, it was said that the pills brought the plague. When rat-traps were distributed they were also objected to. In short, there was great clamor and at some places public health employees of Government were maltreated. . The proclamation by the Promised Messiah at this juncture and the conduct of his followers served to open the eyes of many of the other people. He explained to the Muslims that it was not forbidden in Islam during an epidemic to leave their houses and to dwell outside the affected villages and towns, what was forbidden was to go from one town to another because that tended to carry the infection to those other towns. . The Promised Messiah's Suggested Remedy for. Public Disorder in India. This period was one of great excitement on account of religious controversies and the years 1897 and 1898 were conspicuous in this respect. The opposition to the Promised Messiah was growing and political malcontents were taking advantage of the religious conflicts to excite the people against the Government. It was this state of affairs which led the Government to legislate against sedition in 1897. Nevertheless the country continued to drift towards disloyalty. The law, in fact did not mend matters to any great degree, because India is pre-eminently a land of religions and its people are prone to be more easily agitated over religious questions than over questions of politics. The amending law made no provision for the prevention of religious dispute, as at the time when it was passed, the Government did not perceive the necessity of any such provision. But the point that was missed by the authorities was perceived from his detached vantage point by the. Promised Messiah. Accordingly in 1897 he prepared and submitted